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Comcast CEO on net neutrality

Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, talked about the cable industry outlook and net neutrality rules (hint: he's not for 'em). Here's the Silicon Alley's transcript , of his comments Wednesday and excerpts on net neutrality below:

Tell me exactly what it means and what problem we're solving that requires an act of government? This has a very different feeling to a lot of different people. New chair of FCC: Very capable, very likable, take at his word that he's going to be very fact-driven, open and transparent. Asking a lot of questions. The idea that we're not going to have an open Internet is just not realistic. We have an open Internet. $350 billion collectively to "wideband," or wherever we're headed next. How much regulation comes in… does that stifle investment?... we welcome conversations. But what problem are we fixing?

A lot of companies have said that we're afraid that companies who have pipes will give preference to packets with more profit. We've heard this for a long time. We're going to be an active participant, but how many of your businesses running over somebody's platform, and that platform - you want it to be reinvested in - you want those companies not to crap out. But every time - the few limited examples, including our own - that have gotten notoriety, usually get dealt with in like 10 seconds. By the time the government comes along... the problem that was there... you probably couldn't have one definition of what all those companies have signed on to.